Support is requested for a Gordon Research Conference on "Biological Molecules in the Gas Phase and in Solution", which will take place July 5-10, 2009 at the Tilton School in Tilton, New Hampshire. Cross disciplinary in nature, with emphasis on isolated biomolecules and biomolecular interactions, theory and experiment, this meeting will provide an international forum for the presentation and discussion of frontier research on molecules of biological interest in the gas phase, and in solution. The past few years have witnessed remarkable advances in this field that have revealed important properties of the building blocks of life that have heretofore been obscured by surrounding condensed phase environments. Our conference will put these results in perspective by comparing the properties of isolated molecules with their properties in the condensed phase, especially in solution. Following a brief tutorial on modern experimental methods in high resolution spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, the meeting will begin with a plenary lecture on "The Challenges that Lie Ahead" by Dr. Carol Robinson of Cambridge University and continue with sessions devoted to noncovalent interactions, hydration, peptides and proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, energy transduction, carbohydrates, and biopolymers in cells. Each session will feature a discussion leader and three invited talks;one on spectroscopy, one on computational methods, and one on mass spectrometry, each focused on the central topic of the session. In this way, we will compare and contrast the experimental and theoretical methods, and what can be learned from the application of these very different techniques to similar systems. Additionally, a scientist working in the field will be assigned the role of "reflector" for the session, who will help all conferees put the talks in a biological perspective, and identify key future areas of interest in that field. The meeting will therefore provide an opportunity for young scientists to grow and be stimulated by the discussion of future research activities in our interdisciplinary field. NIH funds will be used to provide conference registration fee and/or travel support for young investigators, graduate students, and postdocs entering the field. Applications from suitable candidates will be solicited by contacting members of a 500+ person mailing list of active investigators in this field and asking them to nominate one or more persons for a NIH grant to attend the meeting. Minority trainees will be contacted in a similar way. Selections of worthy recipients will be made by the Chair and Vice Chairs of the conference. Public Health Relevance: New developments in medicine and public health in the 21st Century are likely to depend on an improved understanding of the structure, dynamics, and function of biological systems at the molecular level. The Gordon Research Conference on Biological Molecules in the Gas Phase and in Solution was created in 2001 to address this need. The 2009 meeting, the fifth in the series, will especially focus on identifying the frontier areas in biology that will benefit from collaborative research involving the biomolecular mass spectrometry, optical spectroscopy, and computational chemistry modeling communities.